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No-knead bread in Romertopf: how to prevent sticking?

December 27, 2009 - 6:48am

alina

No-knead bread in Romertopf: how to prevent sticking?

I tried making a no-knead loaf in a Romertopf clay baking pan today for the first time. I sprinkled some cornmeal on the bottom of the pan and around the sides of the dough where I thought it might stick.

I plopped the dough into the pan, wet the inside of the cover, and put it all into a cold oven. Baked for a while, then removed the lid to finish it.

The crust was nice and crisp, everything worked fine, BUT the loaf stuck to the bottom and sides, and I ruined it by prying to get it out.

How do you prevent sticking in this pan? And how exactly are you soaking (or not) and preheating (or not) and baking?

(In the past I've used a heavy Dutch oven and sprinkled cornmeal, which worked great.)

Hi, Alina! I have made numerous loaves in my Romertopf with good success. I do not pre-soak it like I would for a roast or something. I do put the pot into a cold oven and let it preheat with the oven for a good long time. Then I put my dough into the hot clay pot. To be honest, I also line the pot with parchment. I have a really good pair of silicone line gloves that makes working with the hot pot a bit easier!

Well, tried it again today by soaking top and bottom, then oiling them, and putting them in a cold oven. I had high hopes, but it seemed to stick exactly as much as the last time. Wah.

Nice crust with this method, though, and I prefer the loaf shape over the flattened oval I got in the Dutch oven, so I will have to try again with another method, til I get this. We might have some parchment somewhere I can try...

like poppy. chopped nuts, or sesame or rolled grains or flour before resting into the dish. Or sift a protective layer of flour onto the bottom form, maybe rice flour. A mixture of wheat and rice flour works like teflon. Sticking can be so frustrating! Normally when the bread is thoroughly baked, it releases all by itself. When it sticks, it is not quite done yet. Is there a chance that the bottom heat is not working the way it should? I've had dough stick and so I just let the pot and loaf sit on the rack to cool, as the loaf shrunk and steamed, it separated.

I was expecting sticking with my fancy form but it just didn't happen.

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